The Aquatic World Comes to Chesterfield

World-class swimmers will compete in Chesterfield County in April

The county will play host to the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series from April 10-13 at the SwimRVA facility at the Collegiate School Aquatics Center, 5050 Ridgedale Parkway. The event will bring 400 to 600 competitors to the metro area, including top-50 world ranked swimmers, according to SwimRVA.

The Chesterfield event is one of six that will be staged across the nation through November 2019. Adam Kennedy, executive director of SwimRVA, describes the competition as one of the world’s top swimming events. “This international competition will not only elevate our local swimming community, but Richmond as a whole,” he says in a release.

Mike Unger, chief operating officer for USA Swimming, says the event may serve as a key stop for some competitors seeking to participate in the World Championships in July 2019. “Our goal was to engage and showcase leading swimming communities around the country, and SwimRVA and Richmond stepped forward to provide a world-class opportunity for top athletes,” he says. USA Swimming is the national governing board for the sport.

Any proceeds from the competition will benefit SwimRVA. The nonprofit promotes water safety and fitness and provides swimming opportunities and lessons to children across metro Richmond. Tickets are available through swimrichmond.org. Learn more about the competition at usaswimming.org.

A new elementary school set for the Matoaca District will have the same layout as three other planned Chesterfield County schools, saving the county money and time on the project. (Image courtesy Chesterfield County Public Schools)

A Delayed Green Light for Magnolia Green

The new elementary school won't open until at least 2021

Chesterfield County Public Schools says a new elementary school is still in the works for the Matoaca District, but it won’t open until 2021 at the earliest.

The county school board approved plans in July that called for opening a new school serving the Magnolia Green subdivision area in 2020. But that timetable was delayed later that same month, after the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors voted to place the project in the capital improvement plan for fiscal year 2020, meaning that the actual date when the school could open would be delayed at least until 2021.

The school system contends that the new elementary school is needed to help with redistricting and prevent overcrowding in other county schools. But the plan proved controversial. Some area residents countered that the facilities of other schools should be repaired before new schools were built, and there were complaints that some of the steps capital improvement projects generally require had been skipped. Others supported the proposal, citing school overcrowding as a pressing issue.

Matoaca District School Board Member Rob Thompson, who championed the school in the early July school board meeting, expressed frustration that the opening had been pushed back. He says he was concerned with the overcrowding of district schools, particularly Winterpock Elementary, adding that a 2020 opening date “made a lot of sense.”

Moving On

Two metro Richmond retailers have found new homes on the South Side

Photo courtesy Jeweler's Services Inc.

Jeweler’s Services Inc. has moved from Carytown to the Chesterfield Meadows Shopping Center in Chesterfield. Owner Jill LaPrad cites easier parking as one of the benefits of the move for her business, which designs and creates new pieces with its staff of on-site jewelers.

Cabin Creek Interiors has moved from Midlothian to 3701 Boulevard in Colonial Heights. Michael Maszaros, designer and the store’s owner, says that the new location is easier to access. The firm specializes in residential and small commercial design.

Showers of Blessing

In His Presence Apostolic Ministry is providing a service to the homeless in Petersburg that most take for granted — a shower. Its Refreshing Springs Shower Outreach provides free hot showers on its campus to those in need each third Saturday. The ministry also provides transportation, if required. It is seeking toiletries and financial support for the program at ihpam.org.